Father: Francis Sorrel, Sr.(1793-1870)
Mother: Lucinda Ireland "Lucy" Moxley (1805-1827)
11/12/1827 - Mother, Lucinda, died in Washington, DC
1846 - A.B. degree, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
1848 - M.D. degree, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (from: GA; thesis: "Tetanus")
06/29/1849 - Appointed, Asst. Surgeon, U.S. Army (from: GA)
08/24/1850 - Asst. Surgeon, U.S. Army, District No. 13, Chatham Co., GA (living with his father & sibs - indexed in the 1850 U.S. Census as Francis L. Sorrel)
06/27/1856 - Resigned, U.S. Army
1856 - Toured Europe
11/08/1856 - Arrived in New York City, NY, from Cowe's England and Le Havre France on the passenger ship, "Fulton"
1857 - A.M. degree, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
07/27/1860 - Practiced medicine, Yreka, Siskiyou Co., CA (lived with E. K. Phipps - indexed in the 1860 U.S. Census as F. Sorrell)
1860-1861 - Member, Legislature, State of California, USA
08/13/1861 - Accepted appointment as Surgeon, Regular Army, Confederate States of America, at pay rate of $162/mo.
10/05/1861 - "Surgeon Francis Sorrel C.S.A. will proceed to Memphis, Tennessee, under such instructions as may be given him by the Acting Surgeon General, after the execution of which he will return to this City [Richmond, Virginia]" (S.O. 172/8)
02/17/1862 - Appointed Surgeon, Confederate States Regular Army, to rank from 07/19/1861
03/08/1862 - "Surgeon Francis Sorrell [sic - Sorrel] will proceed to Decatur, Alabama, and elsewhere, under such special instructions, as may be given by the Surgeon Genl. after the execution of which he will return to this city [Richmond, Virginia]" (S.O. 54/2)
04/13/1862 - In a telegraph sent from Mobile, AL, to Dr. Richard Potts "Inquire at Depot a trunk Canvassed and Marked F. S. Jr C.S.A. think it was put out at Meridian [Mississippi] last night reply and send by express if there. F Sorrell [sic - Sorrel]" [Note: Richard Potts was Medical Purveyor in
Jackson, MS, during 1862.]
06/03/1862 - "Private James D. Sublett of the Powhatan Troop, 4th Regiment Virginia Cavalry, is detailed for special duty, and will report to Surgeon F. Sorrel, Inspector of Hospitals, Department of Henrico, in this City [Richmond, Virginia] (S.O. 127/12) [Note: Pvt. Sublett served as a courier when he was with the 4th VA Cavalry.]
06/21/1862 - In a letter written by captured Col. Stephen A. Dodge, 87th NY Infantry, U.S. Army, from the Confederate Hospital, Richmond, VA, to General G. W. Randolph, Confederate Secretary of War, "General: I most respectfully ask that I may be paroled and sent home. The erysipelas is in the hospital and if it gets in my wound death will ensue. Grant my request for God's, humanity's and my family's sake, and that God's choicest blessing may rest on you and yours will ever be my prayer.. . . Stephen A. Dodge.[First indorsement on the back of the letter: Referred to the (Confederate) Surgeon-General. If this officer's situation renders a removal to another hospital proper and advisable I wish it done. G. W. Randolph. Second endorsement on the back of the letter (by the Surgeon General): Inspector of hospital will examine this officer. I will go with him at about 1:30 p.m. S. P. Moore. Third indorsement on the back of the letter (by Francis Sorrel, Inspector of Hospitals, Dept. of Henrico, Richmond, VA: I have examined this officer and find his would in a healthy condition. Erysipelas has occurred in several cases in the hospital. He objects, however, to being removed to another hospital, preferring to remain where he is if not paroled. F. Sorrel.]
09/02/1862 - "Surgeon Francis Sorrell [sic - Sorrel] in addition to the duties of Inspector of Hospitals in this City [Richmond, Virginia] is Medical Director of General Winders command (205/20)
09/26/1862 - Confirmed as Surgeon from GA by the Confederate States Senate
0/02/1862 - As Surgeon and Inspector of Hospitals, stationed at Richmond, VA
10/16/1862 - "Surgeon F. Sorrell [sic - Sorrel] will inspect and report the condition of the Purveying Depots in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi and report to the Surgeon General" (S.O. 242/18)
1863 - Inspector of Hospitals, Surgeon General's Department, Confederate Army, Bank St. near 9th St., Richmond, VA
1864 - On duty in Surg. General's Office, Richmond, VA
1864 - Med Director, Gen Winder's Command
03/11/1865 - Married, Letitia Gamble Watts Rives (1829-1900), Roanoke Co., Virginia [Note: Letitia was previously married to Dr. Landon Cabell Rives (1825 - 1862). Dr. Rives died of pneumonia while serving as a Surgeon in the Army of the Confederate States of America.]
05/27/1865 - Paroled by the U.S. Army, Lynchburg, VA [Note: At the time, Dr. Sorrel claimed his home residence as Savannah, GA.]
~1866 - Francis and Letitia built a two story brick house, which they named "The Barrens", in Roanoke Co., VA, on 240 acres of land inherited by Letitia from her father, Gen. Edward Watts.
05/05/1870 - Father, Francis, died in Savannah, GA
06/24/1880 - Farmer, Big Lick District, Roanoke, VA (lived with wife, Letitia - indexed in the 1880 U.S. Census as Francis Sorrell)
12/21/1887 - In a letter to Mr. Frank W. Brown, owner of The Roanoke Hardware Man, Jefferson St., Roanoke, VA, "Dear Sir, Replying to yours of the 16th instant, I would say that my manager, Mr. Miller, after working the McCormick Harvester and Twine Binder along side of a 'Champion' through a 200 acre wheat harvest, thinks without any doubt the former has decided advantage over the latter in lightness of draft, and that it fully sustains the character given it by you, as does also in every particular the Daisy Reaper and the No. 3 Steel Mower bought at the same time with the Harvester and Binder. For myself, though only occasionally in the field during the harvest, I could not be impressed each time while there . . . . . . . Dr. Francis Sorrell, 'The Banners', Roanoke County, Va." [Testimonial published in the Salem Times-Register, Salem, Va., June 1, 1888, p.3.]
06/25/1900 - Farmer, Big Lick District, Roanoke Co., VA (lived with wife, "Liticia" - indexed in the 1900 U.S. Census as "Freners Sornel")
12/08/1900 - Wife, Letitia, died in Big Lick, Roanoke Co., VA (buried: Fair View Cemetery, Roanoke, VA) [Note: A memorial window was installed in St. Johns Church, Roanoke, VA, as a tribute to her.]
04/25/1910 - Lived on own income, Roanoke City, VA (lived with niece, Letitia L. Holcombe - indexed in the 1910 U.S. Census as Francis Sorrel)
1912 - Lived, Roanoke, VA
1914 - Lived, Washington, DC
06/30/1916 - Died in his apartment, Washington, DC (original burial: Watts Family Cemetery, Roanoke, VA; reburied in November, 1977: Fair View Cemetery, Roanoke, VA)
07/02/1916 - Funeral of Dr. Francis Sorrel, Roanoke, VA

Guy Hasegawa and Pam Digges, the creator of this memorial, provided input to this biography.

Note: Dr. Francis Sorrel was the brother of Confederate Army General Gilbert Moxley
Sorrel (1838-1901)

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F.T. & Koste, J.L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
11/05/2016. Updated 03/22/2019.
Unpublished database.

The following was added by Pam Digges, the creator of this memorial:

Dr. Francis Sorrel was born 27 Jul 1827. He was a graduate of Princeton University and of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania.

Francis became an Assistant Surgeon in the U.S. Army in 1849and a member of the California Legislature 1860-61.

During the Civil War, he served as a Surgeon in the C.S.A. and was Medical Director at Richmond, Va., General Hospital East of the Mississippi.

Francis married Letitia Gamble (Watts) Rives.

Francis died 30 Jun 1916 and was buried in the Watts Family Cemetery in Roanoke County, Virginia. In Nov 1977 his grave was moved to Fair View Cemetery.